Albany and Saratoga Springs will each see a part-time judge bumped up to full time, while the residency requirement to be a Watervliet city judge will be broadened to include anyone who lives in Albany County — as is already the case in Cohoes and, in Rensselaer County, the city of Rensselaer.

Schenectady will go from three to four full-time judges as of January 1, 2015

Troy will go from 1.75 to 2.75 full-time judges as of January 1, 2015

Saratoga Springs will go from 1.5 to 2.5 two full-time judges as of April 1

Watervliet would would go from one half-time and one quarter-time judge to two half-time judges on April 1

The changes come with increases in pay, but because judges are paid by the state Office of Court Administration, the costs of the new jurists will come from the state, not directly from local property taxpayers.

Overall, the legislation converts about a dozen part-time judges to full-time status and creates new judgeships in seven cities. The legislation was requested by Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman of the Court of Appeals in response to the increasing and varied workloads faced by modern city courts, which the bill says have spiked exponentially.

In Albany’s case, part-time Judge Helena Heath-Roland will be allowed to serve out the remainder of her six-year, part-time term as a full-time judge before running for a full, 10-year term. Her current term ends in 2017. Heath-Roland is currently assigned to the city’s civil court section in City Hall.

Schenectady and Troy’s new judgeships will be filled in elections this coming fall.

In my mind, this is how the Cuomo Administration should have rolled out this announcement REDC-style in The Egg. Only, the crowd would be full of mayors and you’d have to substitute the word “judge” for “car.”

Here’s the full statement from Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, the Rochester-area Democrat who sponsored the bill:

Morelle legislation modernizing city court system is signed by Governor

Bill includes new judgeships for multiple Upstate Cities, including Rochester

Assembly Majority Leader Joseph D. Morelle (D – Irondequoit) announced today that Governor Cuomo has signed legislation (Chapter 548 of 2013) expanding the number of judges serving on city court benches, including Rochester’s.

“Over time the role of city courts has greatly expanded in its scope. Their importance in moving serious felony cases forward and dealing with issues that impact the quality of life for city residents can’t be overstated,” said Morelle. “I applaud Governor Cuomo for his commitment to making our criminal justice system more effective for the citizens it serves.”

City court judges play an integral role in the judicial process and handle a very diverse case load. Their duties include presiding over nearly all of the preliminary felony proceedings outside of New York City. City courts also are playing an increasingly important role in the fight against drug crime and family violence. Some courts have taken on additional responsibilities such as domestic violence and mental health. This modernization to the court system will work to alleviate some of the caseload by updating the law to address the enhanced role that city court judges play in the judicial process today.

“We are very grateful to Governor Cuomo, and a special thanks to Assemblyman Morelle, who sponsored this legislation. By signing this Bill, our Governor has recognized the value of the city courts outside New York City, the Judges serving in these courts and the communities that they serve,” said Jo Ann Friia, White Plains City Court Judge & President, New York State Association of City Court Judges. “Additional Judges will help dispense justice more timely and effectively, which in turn, will improve the quality of life in cities across the State.

“We would like to commend Governor Cuomo for signing legislation to increase the number of City Court judges in certain communities across the State,” said Rochester City Court Supervising Judge Teresa D. Johnson. “The numbers and complexity of the cases coming before the Court, both civil and criminal, have increased dramatically. The new judgeship in Rochester will allow us to better serve our community. We are grateful to Majority Leader Morelle for his leadership on this issue.”

For more than 30 years following the State takeover of local court funding, the Judiciary and the Legislature have collaborated closely to ensure that the structure and resources of the State’s 61 city courts outside New York City are well-suited to community needs. The additional judgeships created by this legislation come at the recommendation of an independent committee that undertook a detailed study of city court operations throughout the State.

As a result of this legislation, the following cities will see the creation of a new, full time judgeship: Binghamton, Buffalo, Ithaca, Jamestown, Kingston, Lockport, Middletown, Newburgh, New Rochelle, Norwich, Oneida, Rochester, Rome, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Syracuse, Troy, Watertown, White Plains and Yonkers.